Methods of Teaching Secondary Mathematics at Western Governors University (WGU) draws the line between knowing maths and teaching it. WGU says the course has no required prerequisites.
Its focus is effective teaching practice: differentiation, questioning, curriculum development, humanizing approaches, co-teaching, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), accommodations and inclusion. The difficulty is writing plans specific enough to teach, instead of general statements about good teaching.
Course at a Glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| University | Western Governors University (WGU) |
| Course code | D900 |
| Level | Undergraduate (BS Mathematics Education, Secondary) |
| Prerequisites | None required, per WGU's description |
| Subject area | Mathematics teaching methods |
| Typical work | Lesson design, differentiation plans, reflection on teaching |
What D900 Covers
These competencies are from WGU's graduate program guide for the same course; check your course page for the undergraduate wording.
| Competency (WGU wording, summarized) | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Analyze a recommended curriculum resource and its implementation in a secondary maths setting | Judging how a resource would work in a real classroom |
| Apply methods by developing curriculum, using effective questioning and differentiating for diverse needs | Planning lessons that reach different learners |
| Create an instructional plan using relevant resources or technology | Choosing tools with a clear purpose |
| Reflect on secondary maths lessons and the specialized knowledge needed to teach | Learning from what happened and why |
Key Concepts Explained
Differentiation and MTSS
Differentiation adjusts content, process or product to student needs. MTSS organizes support in tiers: Tier 1 is high-quality instruction for everyone, Tier 2 adds targeted small-group support and Tier 3 provides intensive individual support.
Example: In a lesson on solving two-step equations, Tier 1 uses a balance-scale model and worked examples for the whole class. For Tier 2, a small group uses algebra tiles and sentence frames to explain each step. For Tier 3, a student who struggles with integer operations gets short, focused practice on that skill before returning to the equation. The plan says how you would decide who needs which support.
Questioning
Move from questions with one answer towards questions that expose reasoning, such as "How do you know?" and "What would change if...?". Plan a few key questions and a way to give every student thinking time.
Co-Teaching
Common models include one teach, one assist, parallel teaching and station teaching. Pick the model that fits the lesson goal and explain how the two teachers share planning and assessment.
Typical Assignments and How to Approach Them
| Task type | What it tests | How to approach it |
|---|---|---|
| Lesson plan with differentiation | Planning for diverse learners | Name specific supports and the evidence you will use to choose them |
| Questioning plan | Eliciting reasoning | List key questions, expected responses and follow-ups |
| Accommodations and MTSS response | Inclusion | Link a need to a tier and a concrete action |
| Reflection | Learning from practice | Use specific evidence from a lesson and propose a change |
Building a Differentiated Plan
Write your plan in this order so each decision follows from the one before.
| Step | Decision | Evidence to include |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Learning goal | A measurable objective |
| 2 | Learner needs | Readiness, language, accommodations |
| 3 | Tasks and questions | Core task plus supports and extensions |
| 4 | Check for understanding | What you will look for and what you will do next |
Humanizing Mathematics Instruction
WGU's description lists humanizing approaches. In practice this means treating students as people with ideas, not as empty containers.
- Value multiple strategies and ask students to explain them.
- Use contexts connected to students' lives and communities.
- Normalize mistakes as a source of learning.
- Share the thinking time fairly across the room.
When writing a plan, give one concrete example of each practice you claim, such as a routine in which students compare two correct methods.
Curriculum Development in a Lesson Plan
Curriculum development in this course is practical: choosing and sequencing tasks, not writing a whole program. Show how a lesson sits inside a unit.
| Level | Question | Your answer should show |
|---|---|---|
| Unit | What big idea does this lesson serve? | The idea and its place in the sequence |
| Lesson | What should students be able to do? | A measurable objective |
| Task | What will students actually do? | A specific problem and expected strategies |
Where Students Get Stuck
- Vague differentiation. Replace "provide support" with a named support and who gets it.
- Questions without follow-up. Plan what you will do with a wrong answer.
- Confusing accommodations and modifications. Accommodations change how students learn; modifications change what they are expected to learn.
- Surface reflection. Anchor it in an event and a decision.
Study Tips for D900
- Build a bank of reasoning questions for common topics.
- Practice writing one lesson with three levels of support.
- Review the co-teaching models and note when each fits.
- Keep reflection notes after any observation or teaching experience.
How We Help with D900
Send the prompt, rubric and the topic or grade band. A mathematics education writer prepares a custom plan, reviews your draft or helps you think through supports and questions.
GradeEssays is independent of WGU. Our work is a study and reference aid. Use it to learn the approach, then write and submit your own work under WGU's academic integrity policy. We do not complete classroom or clinical requirements for you. Orders are written from scratch, with free revisions within the scope of your original request and a full refund if late.
Make Sense of Your D900 Task
Share the prompt and rubric. A maths writer prepares a worked model lesson plan you can study.
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Frequently Asked Questions
WGU says there are no required prerequisites.
D900 is the undergraduate course. D906 is the graduate version, which leans more on analyzing a curriculum resource and reflection.
A Multi-Tiered System of Supports that provides instruction and help at increasing levels of intensity.
An accommodation changes how a student accesses learning. A modification changes the learning expectation.
Check your task. If a classroom component is required, we cannot do it for you, but we can help you plan and reflect.
Yes. Send the task and plan and we check differentiation, questioning and rubric coverage.